Karnataka HC orders removal of encroachments around archeological site in Nagamangala
Bengaluru(PTI): Taking serious exception to the inaction of the authorities, the High Court of Karnataka directed the Deputy Commissioner of Mandya to follow up on the notices issued to unauthorized and illegal constructions around the Saumyakeshava temple in Nagamangala and remove them as per law.
A division bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit on Saturday ordered the Deputy Commissioner, Mandya to issue a public show-cause notice in Kannada and English newspapers within two weeks.
Thereafter, the removal of illegal encroachment should be undertaken within four weeks, the bench said.
A total of 1,566 constructions were found to have come up around this archeological site. The authorities will now have to determine which of these are illegal.
A public interest litigation (PIL) was filed in 2015 by BV Lokesh and Vasanth Kumar, residents of Nagamangala, alleging that in contravention to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, a Jama Masjid was built within 120 metres from the temple.
The temple built in the 12th century by Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana is a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).
The PIL pointed out that as per the Act, no construction can be carried out 200 metres from a protected archeological monument.
The DC of Mandya appeared before the Court on Saturday after the HC ordered his presence during an earlier hearing on October 9 this year.
On February 26, 2020, the HC had issued directions to the DC to assist the Archaeological Survey of India to conduct a survey of the alleged encroachments and file an affidavit on the action taken on the 52 notices already issued. The DC was directed to file the affidavit before March 31, 2020.
In October 2023, the HC noted that "unfortunately, even after a span of three years, there is no progress in the matter, except a submission that there is correspondence between the authorities. It seems that the authorities are only happy to ride paper horses without there being actual progress in the matter."
The construction was carried out despite the notices issued by the ASI, the PIL said.
"The construction is totally illegal as there is no plan approval, no grant of licenses from any authority. The illegal construction exceeds the height of the ancient monument. The construction of the said building at a height of more than the existing ancient monument will dwarf the same and will reduce its importance and grandeur. This construction is aimed to hurt the sentiments of the devotees," it claimed.
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Sanjay Raut demands re-election, alleges irregularities in EVMs during Maharashtra polls
Mumbai, Nov 25: Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut on Monday demanded a re-election in Maharashtra using ballot papers, claiming there were irregularities with the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
Talking to reporters, Raut alleged several complaints about EVMs malfunctioning and questioned the integrity of the recently held elections.
The BJP-led Mahayuti won 230 out of 288 seats in the assembly elections, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi managed 46 seats, with Shiv Sena (UBT) winning just 20 out of 95 seats it contested.
"We have received nearly 450 complaints regarding EVMs. Despite raising objections repeatedly, no action has been taken on these issues. How can we say these elections were conducted fairly? Hence, I demand that the results be set aside and elections be held again using ballot papers," Raut said.
Citing some instances, he said a candidate in Nashik reportedly received only four votes despite having 65 votes from his family, while in Dombivli, discrepancies were found in EVM tallies, and election officials refused to acknowledge the objections.
The Sena (UBT) leader also questioned the credibility of the landslide victories of some candidates, saying, "What revolutionary work have they done to receive more than 1.5 lakh votes? Even leaders who recently switched parties have become MLAs. This raises suspicions. For the first time, a senior leader like Sharad Pawar has expressed doubts about EVMs, which cannot be ignored."
Asked about the MVA's poor performance in the elections, Raut rejected the idea of blaming a single individual.
"We fought as a united MVA. Even a leader like Sharad Pawar, who commands immense respect in Maharashtra, faced defeat. This shows that we need to analyse the reasons behind the failure. One of the reasons is EVM irregularities and the misuse of the system, unconstitutional practices, and even judicial decisions left unresolved by Justice Chandrachud," he said.
Raut stressed that though internal differences might have existed within the MVA, the failure was collective.
He also accused the Mahayuti of conducting the elections in an unfair manner.
"I cannot call the elections fair given the numerous reports of discrepancies in EVMs, mismatched numbers, and vote irregularities across the state," Raut said.
